Klezmer Podcast Blog

This is the official Blog for the Klezmer Podcast. This Blog will be the focus of the Klezmer Podcast online community. Please visit often and contribute your posts and comments. Thank you for your interest in the Klezmer Podcast.

A unique and historic concert of an exceptional Israeli singer joined by these prominent performers, amplifying the message of unity through art. The concert will be hosted at the historic The Theater at Ace Hotel; a delicately restored 1920’s movie palace originated by Mary Pickford and Charlie Chapman.

Yasmin Levy sings in Ladino, an ancient form of the Spanish language that was kept alive by the Sephardic Jews. With a deep, spiritual, and moving style, Yasmin Levy is a leading voice in Ladino song and culture. In addition to being a leading voice in Ladino song and culture, she is a contemporary singer/songwriter, performing in modern Spanish, as well as bringing the flavors of Flamenco, Turkish and Persian music all together into a style of her own.

Yasmin Levy made it her cause to recast and transmit the disappearing musical legacy of Ladino, the Judeo-Spanish language of the Sephardic Jewish communities that were driven from Spain in the late 15th century. Amongst Sephardic Jewish communities across North Africa, Turkey, the Balkans and the Middle East, Ladino survived as a language until almost vanishing in the 20th Century. Yasmin Levy’s father, Yitzhak Levy, was the head of the Ladino department at Israel’s National Radio, but Yitzhak died when she was only a baby. Before his passing, he had taught her mother the songs, and in turn she taught her daughter.

22 September 2017

Balkan Beat Box In Hollywood

Klezmer Podcast 133- Ori Kaplan of Balkan Beat Box. Balkan Beat Box was back in Los Angeles and put on a wonderful show. Ori Kaplan was kind enough to spend a few minutes with me before the show to talk about the latest happenings with the group and their latest release, Shout It Out. The band continues to surprise with each new album, and the trend continues with this album. We also hear the track Kum Kum. I apologize for some audio difficulties during the interview.

06 June 2017

The Desert Caravan Concert featuring Amos Hoffman and Noam Lemish

This episode features and interview with Amos Hoffman and Yale Strom, just prior to the Desert Caravan concert at San Diego State University on April 12, 2017. A Guitar and Oud player, Hoffman has teamed with Pianist Noam Lemish for a new project of jazz-influenced Middle Eastern songs. Joined on this concert by Yale Strom and his band Hot Pstromi, a fusion of this music with Klezmer and Yiddish repertoire resulted in a new direction for Jewish music, something Strom has been on the forefront of for many years. We also get to hear one of the songs from the concert that was recorded live.Run time: 17:09

New Album Europa From KlezFactor

Mike Anklewicz is a well-known Toronto area musician and composer, and leader of KlezFactor. His latest album Europa is a collection of original Jazz-infused compositions recorded by band members in both Canada and Germany. Check out the track Naftule Strikes Bach and prepare to be taken on a wonderful journey into his ever-evolving world of Jewish music.

16 November 2016

Funk meets Hip Hop meets Klezmer

David and Keith

David and Fred in concert

L to R: Socalled, David Krakauer, Eric Stein, Fred Wesley

Clarinetist David Krakauer and DJ Socalled have been great musical collaborators for many years. But the move to add Trombonist Fred Wesley sent them on a new trajectory to a new sonic landscape. Abraham Inc. blends Klezmer, hip-hop, and Funk in a way that creates a new genre that sets a new standard for Jewish music. Here, I sit down with Krakauer and Wesley to find out what motivated them to join forces and create this new sound. Like the track Push, a perfect example of this sound, blending Funk and hip-hop with a nigun. And we also hear Moskovitz Remix, showing how well they can take on a Klezmer tune. Run time: 34:50.